Cause and time of death Space Shuttle Challenger disaster

the crew cabin, made of reinforced aluminum, particularly robust section of orbiter. during vehicle breakup, detached in 1 piece , tumbled ballistic arc. nasa estimated load factor @ separation between 12 , 20 g; within 2 seconds had dropped below 4 g , within 10 seconds cabin in free fall. forces involved @ stage insufficient cause major injury.

at least of crew alive , @ least briefly conscious after breakup, 3 of 4 recovered personal egress air packs (peaps) on flight deck found have been activated. investigators found remaining unused air supply consistent expected consumption during 2 minute 45 second post-breakup trajectory.

while analyzing wreckage, investigators discovered several electrical system switches on pilot mike smith s right-hand panel had been moved usual launch positions. fellow astronaut richard mullane wrote, these switches protected lever locks required them pulled outward against spring force before moved new position. later tests established neither force of explosion nor impact ocean have moved them, indicating smith made switch changes, presumably in futile attempt restore electrical power cockpit after crew cabin detached rest of orbiter.

whether crew members remained conscious long after breakup unknown, , largely depends on whether detached crew cabin maintained pressure integrity. if did not, time of useful consciousness @ altitude few seconds; peaps supplied unpressurized air, , hence not have helped crew retain consciousness. if, on other hand, cabin not depressurized or depressurizing, may have been conscious entire fall until impact. recovery of cabin found middeck floor had not suffered buckling or tearing, result rapid decompression, providing evidence depressurization may have not happened @ once.

nasa routinely trained shuttle crews splashdown events, cabin hit ocean surface @ 207 mph (333 km/h), estimated deceleration @ impact of on 200 g, far beyond structural limits of crew compartment or crew survivability levels, , far greater automobile, aircraft, or train accident. crew have been torn seats , killed instantly extreme impact force.

on july 28, 1986, nasa s associate administrator space flight, former astronaut richard h. truly, released report on deaths of crew director of space , life sciences @ johnson space center, joseph p. kerwin. medical doctor , former astronaut, kerwin veteran of 1973 skylab 2 mission. according kerwin report:

the findings inconclusive. impact of crew compartment ocean surface violent evidence of damage occurring in seconds followed disintegration masked. our final conclusions are:

the cause of death of challenger astronauts cannot positively determined;
the forces crew exposed during orbiter breakup not sufficient cause death or serious injury; and
the crew possibly, not certainly, lost consciousness in seconds following orbiter breakup due in-flight loss of crew module pressure.

some experts believe if not of crew alive , possibly conscious during entire descent until impact ocean. astronaut , nasa lead accident investigator robert overmyer said, not flew dick scobee, owned plane together, , know scob did save crew. scob fought , every edge survive. flew ship without wings way down... alive.